Real Estate, Sustainability, And New York Lifestyle

NYCxDESIGN 2015: What to Look Out For

NYCxDESIGN, New York City’s official citywide celebration of design, is returning for its third year from May 8 – 19. The multifaceted programming comprises installations, talks, trade shows and open studios staged across all five boroughs. Last year’s celebration featured over 200 events by 162 organizers at 181 venues and included topics from graphic design to architecture, technology and urban design to fashion and product design, interiors to landscape, furniture to design thinking, and more. Most events are free and open to the public, with some ticketed events managed by individual venues. This year will be even bigger than last year, with hundreds of events to choose from. You can browse the full list of events here, but here are the ones I’m most looking forward to:

The 27th annual ICFF will bring together more than more than 32,000 interior designers, architects, retailers, representatives, distributors, facility managers, developers, manufacturers, store designers, and visual merchandisers. The ICFF will be open to the public on Tuesday, May 19 – tickets are $60. Be sure to check out the upper level features, Luxe, the on floor ASID Conference, over 100 exhibitors from HO.MI and Salone Del Mobile, Milan, and the HP custom wall paper exhibition on the main floor.

Town Residential will be sponsoring the Frieze Art Fair this year. Housed in a distinct structure overlooking the East River, the Frieze Art Fair brings together over 1,000 of the world’s leading artists. This year, the fair will introduce Spotlight, a new section of solo presentations of 20th century art from around the world. Tickets start at $10 and include admission to the Museum of Modern Art.

BKLYN DESIGNS is Brooklyn’s premier design event showcasing a cross section of design, architecture and art. The show will feature inspiring collective exhibits, pop-up lounges, installations, hands-on demos and a diverse conference program. It will also include rotating food trucks and drinks, along with family-friendly programming throughout the weekend. Admission for the entire weekend is just $15.

This exhibition considers the important contributions of women to modernism in postwar visual culture. Featuring more than 100 works, Pathmakers focuses on a core cadre of women—including Ruth Asawa, Edith Heath, Sheila Hicks, Karen Karnes, Dorothy Liebes, Alice Kagawa Parrott, Toshiko Takaezu, Lenore Tawney, and Eva Zeisel—who had impact and influence as designers, artists, and teachers, using materials such as clay, fiber, and metals in innovative ways. Entrance is included in the $16 museum admission fee.

WantedDesign is a platform dedicated to promoting design and fostering the international creative community. Now in its third year, the festival will expand to include events at Industry City, the site of one of today’s most exciting development projects and one that I’ve previously featured on the blog. Visitors will be encouraged to visit the large multi-disciplinary exhibitions by Under Pressure, PrattXAreaware, Outside the box, and more. Other program highlights include factory visits and open studios, the Design Schools Workshop, and a curated pop-up store.

Collective Design celebrates design innovation and thinking from the start of the 20th century to today. The fair is presented in a new location each year, and this year it will transform Skylight Clarkson Sq—a 60,000 square foot industrial space in West SoHo. Collective Design will offer designer-led tours that highlight the range of special installations and diversity of design works presented in the booths, as well as a series of Collective Conversations with leaders from the design community. Frieze VIP passes will be honored at the door, and tickets are $25 for adults and $15 for seniors and students.